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This is the end of an era for RadioShack in Bethesda. The Montgomery Mall RadioShack and the Francis Scott Key Mall location were the last two of the electronics chain's stores in Maryland. A hastily-handwritten sign advises customers to shop RadioShack online.

Meanwhile, in other mall news, the front of Ann Taylor is now screened off. The store is undergoing a renovation, and will reopen in...well, they can't seem to make up their mind. Just last week, the store said it would reopen August 12. But the new message on the temporary wall says the reopening will be sometime in July. Stay tuned.

One thing that's concerning about the long term viability of Montgomery Mall is that even a store like Nordstrom's leases their space. When that lease comes up there's no certainty that they'll renew it. Its hard to imagine that Nordstrom starts closing stores like Macy's, Sears and others, but even the high end retailers are impacted by changing consumer behaviors. If we think there are lots of empty storefronts now, give it one or two more holiday seasons and I think you might see plans from Westfield showing how they want to convert the mall into a Pike and Rose-like mix use.

Change is inevitable in retail, in the 60s it was moving stores from downtown to suburban malls. Now it is a faux downtown/walkable mix use development. I am sure in 30 years we'll hate on whatever change is occurring then to retail.

The decline of the Rock Spring office park isn't good for Montgomery Mall, either. And that will get a lot worse after Suburban Hospital's expansion project is complele, and many of the medical offices leave Rock Spring for Suburban.